A summer read filled with family drama, a little romance, rich people stuff and some twists. I loved the sibling dynamic. Even from the grave people can try to control your life. Looking forward to a great discussion with book club!

GIRL!!!! WHAT!!!!??? SHIIIITTTT!!! Can this just be the review? This is what I was screaming at @sarahmaclean the whole time I read this book because I loved it so friggen much. Is this the book of the summer? Yes. Fight me on it, I will sit on you and suffocate you with all the reasons that this book is superior and perfect and all hail Sarah MacLean the Queen of Romance!!!

Alice Storm, daughter of a billionaire, has been banished from her highly dysfunctional family. Her rich daddio dies and she’s summoned to the family summer island compound in Rhode Island. On the way there she bones a random stranger she meets on the train…as one does on their way to their estranged father’s funeral. Alice learns that 1. The stranger who just sexually destroyed her works for her dad and 2. All family members much complete specific tasks spelled out by daddy dearest in order to receive their inheritance. Let the games begin!! This is one of those books that gets better and better as it goes with surprises around every corner. It’s one of those books where you get a little depressed as you near the end because you don’t want to finish it. It’s one of those books that leaves you hungover and you can’t pick up another book for days after.

For all those who don’t know MacLean is a historical romance writer- and the best one at that. She loves a strong, smart heroine and a gruff, smoke show of a stern brunch daddy hero. She gives us both here- plus everyone is flawed and complex and emotionally layered. Sarah took contemporary romance, sat it in a chair, performed an amazing lap dance upon it, and contemporary romance made.it.rain…and we got to watch. Does that analogy make any sense? My point is that with this book Sarah made contemporary romance her bitch and we are all the better for it. I hope she’s happy because now I am going to expect a new historical AND contemporary romance novel from her every year. Sarah Maclean- your readers officially have made you our bitch!!!

Make it rain- buy this book!!

Smut- 2.31 stars
Romance- 4.83 stars
Story- 5.00 stars
Sarah Maclean dominating all romance genres (perhaps she should try her hand at romantasy next…)- 19.54 stars

Some families have drama…and then there is the Storm family. When their father dies, the adult children are all summoned to the Storm private island for a “celebration” and to find out the details of the will. During their week together, secrets are revealed and some relationships are mended. This was a good read, but dragged in some spots.

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this. A great summer read. So much family drama and personal growth in this book. Realization of what really matters in life. So good.

I loved it!! The comp to Succession is spot on except while I loved to hate every single character on the show, (most of) the cast of These Summer Storms had redeeming qualities. The romance was both sweet and sexy, but I might have enjoyed the sibling dynamics even more. Each one had such a distinctive voice. I haven't read any of the author's historical fiction, but she is so incredibly talented and it's no surprise that she's so popular!

Did Not Finish

I was gifted an advanced copy from the publisher and when I read the synopsis, I was excited to read this book. However, the character development and storyline just didn’t click for me. I ended up declaring it a DNF at 44%. I appreciate Penguin Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I shirked all of my responsibilities and finished this in a day because I could not make myself put it down. The perfect summer book!!

Soooooo I didn't enjoy this book as much as others did. Sorry, but not sorry. I just don't enjoy reading messy family dramas, especially the endless bickering and insults among the family members. It's not my particular type of reading. I would rather read something that does not contain endless fighting, insults, or bickering.

This was my first Sarah MacLean book and I am completely obsessed. The drama, the tension, the messy family dynamics, and the slow burn romance had me locked in from the very beginning.

Alice was such a strong lead. She is angry and guarded but still deeply human, and her dynamic with Jack was everything. The whole Storm family was chaotic in the most entertaining way and I never wanted to leave that island.

I listened to the audiobook and Julia Whelan absolutely delivered. This was such a fun and emotional read. I get the hype now and I already need more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

My thought and opinion right now is that I really want to visit Rhode Island? Sarah MacLean's foray into contemporary romance is a rousing success. Wealthy families have secrets regardless of the century, and the Storms are no different. Alice is returning to her childhood home for the first time in five years and is dreading it. What she thinks is a one-night stand (intending to be a distraction), ends up being her late father's right-hand man, sent to chaperone a family 'game'.

I thought the book handled family dynamics and mystery well, as I found myself caught up in the rich imagery and compelling storyline the entire time. Alice's conflict at the end is handled beautifully and I would easily read more books about this whole family.

If I described my favorite type of summer book to you, I’d say it has family drama, wealthy people doing questionable things, romance, and a frothy, near-the-water setting.

These Summer Storms hits all the right notes. It’s quickly becoming thee book of summer — it’s all over my feed and for good reason! This book tells the story of the Storm family and the long-time-coming reckoning that is forced when the patriarch, an exacting tech billionaire, dies. To get their inheritance, his four children must play a game. Alice, five years estranged from her family, arrives on storm island to find her family is just as emotionally damaged as ever.

Then there’s Greta, the eldest daughter who just wants their mother, Elizabeth’s approval. Sam, the only son, and Emily, the baby. Their secrets bubble beneath the surface of already rough waters and as the game plays out, it’s hard to know if anyone will come out ok.

The storytelling is well-crafted, keeping you on your toes until you turn the final page. It’s steamy in the right places, emotional, and laugh out loud funny in others.

Highly recommend! I think this would pair perfectly with a lobster roll, chilled vinho verde, in an Adirondack chair with a view of the ocean.

Thank you so much to Ballantine Books for the advance review copy and Penguin Random House Audio for the advance audiobook.

These Summer Storms, a contemporary fiction novel by Sarah McLean, is a distinct departure from her historical romance backlist, but I'm not sad about it. It felt like a grown-up version of The Inheritance Games, with family drama, secrets, and plot twists galore.

Alice is the one Storm who broke free from the family business, but now after years of no contact, she's been summoned back to their family's island home upon the death of her father, a wealthy tech billionaire. Once there, she and her siblings are told that in order to receive their inheritance, they each have tasks they must complete. Everyone does their part, or no one receives a dime. Jack, her father's fixer, is also on hand to make sure everything goes according to plan. (Having a one-night stand with Alice before the games began wasn't in the plan, but c'est la vie.)

While none of these characters are especially loveable, I appreciated their complexities...they made them human. The raw emotions on display as secrets came to light were relatable, even if, as an only child, I don't know firsthand the ups and downs of sibling dynamics. The story was well-crafted, moving forward at a pulsing, frenetic pace toward the climax, kind of like those unpredictable New England summer storms.

I couldn't put it down. And to make it even better--the audiobook is narrated by none other than the inimitable Julia Whelan. I switched back and forth between the ebook and the audio, and it goes without saying, Julia is a master of her craft. The combination of Sarah's writing and Julia's dynamic narration? It's a match made in heaven.

10/10. No notes.

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean is a wildly addictive, emotionally rich romp through wealth, family dysfunction, and slow-burn romance—all set against the backdrop of a sprawling Rhode Island estate. Known for her historical romances, MacLean shifts into contemporary fiction with impressive ease. The story follows Alice Storm, long estranged from her ultra-wealthy family, who’s suddenly pulled back into their orbit after the death of her tech-mogul father. But instead of a straightforward inheritance, he’s left behind a chaotic, high-stakes challenge for his children to compete in, forcing them back together under one roof.

At the heart of the novel is Alice’s simmering connection with Jack Dean, her father’s enigmatic and brooding right-hand man. Their tension crackles on every page, and their chemistry brings just the right amount of heat to balance the sharp dialogue and emotional undercurrents. But what really elevates the story is its exploration of identity, resentment, and reconciliation within a fractured family. While a few plot twists feel slightly rushed or under-explained, the emotional payoff and the character dynamics more than make up for it. If you’re into glamorous settings with a Succession-meets-Knives Out vibe and characters you’ll want to follow long after the last page, this one’s for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC of These Summer Storms. Sarah MacLean’s contemporary novel by explores the drama that ensues after the death of the family patriarch. If you enjoy messy family drama with a dash of romance, then you will not be disappointed.

These Summer Storms was the kind of book that swept me up right from the first chapter. The chemistry between the main characters was full of tension, flirtation, and those delicious moments where you just know something’s about to happen. The book followed a wildly dysfunctional family dynamic that brought drama, secrets, and emotional depth, and I couldn’t put it down. The spice level? This book was hot! I fell in love with Jack just as Alice did. I’m giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone craving a sexy, emotionally-charged beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this free digital ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was an immersive and juicy summer read
but I did find it hard to care about whether a group of billionaires’s children would become billionaires by the end. I could have used a little more actual drama and betrayal and high stakes. But the romance plot was excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the chance to read this title prior to publication!

These Summer Storms checks all the boxes for a spicy summer beach read — a luxury home on an island, a wealthy family with secrets, a budding forbidden romance and a gathering, or competition, to find out what each family member will inherit from their difficult, wealthy father.

Most of the family members are unlikable. Most have secrets. Sibling rivalry is intense. Each one is required to spend a week on the island together and at the end of that week, their inheritance will be revealed.

One thing I liked about the book was seeing the growth of some the characters. I also found the budding romance to be quite exciting and a bit spicy. However, the final reveal of what the family inherited was quite the let-down. All in all, it kept my interest and I’m sure many readers will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy offer my honest review and recommend to readers.

I just love Sarah MacLean. I have loved her historicals, and the four Rules of Scoundrels books have yet to be beaten as my very favorite of that genre. So when she said she's been writing a contemporary romance? I was in before I knew it was like a grown up Westing Game, featuring the uber-rich Storm family. This book is thrilling, full of twists and turns, and best of all it has my favorite kind of extremely competent hero with all the brusque and handsomeness that should be a part of the package. I absolutely adored this, I have already been recommending it to my friends, and now I'm recommending it to anyone! Five stars, absolute joy and drama and realistic but humorous family trauma, and a picture-perfect summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Sarah MacLean for the advanced review copy of These Summer Storms. I can see this being a favorite summer read for many, but it just didn’t fully work for me.

I should’ve known from the premise that I’d struggle to connect. Stories about billionaires rarely appeal to me unless there’s some kind of reckoning involved, and this one leaned heavily into the wealthy family drama without much critique. The book also tried to juggle a lot- romance, family tension, inheritance games. But none of those threads felt fully developed.

That said, I did enjoy the island setting and some of the secrets were satisfying when revealed. While this is more of a 2.5-star read for me, I’m rounding up to 3 because the writing is solid. It just wasn’t my kind of story.

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Maclean and couldn't wait to read These Summer Storms. Maclean brings us the family drama of the season with the coastal Newport setting of my dreams. There are so many twists and turns to this family's inheritance plot after the patriarch suddenly dies. Maclean anchors this story in the character of Alice, who I loved and was cheering for the whole time. Expect siblings, pranks, surprises and romance!

Thank you for the Arc. All opinions are my own.